Choices
by Yaoi Scribe
Summary: Even with the war going on, not all feelings about it are easily defined. Jacques, an OMC, is a Lycan stuck in the middle of the war between what those of his kind think and the Elder he knows will never love him. Can love really conquer all? M/M warning.
1. Prologue

Author's note: I only own Jacques...I am not making any money off of this. This is purely for entertainment and because I loved making Jacques. Comments and criticism welcome. I just may not listen to it.

Choices

Prologue

He had been forced to come back. Nothing he'd said seemed to make Lucian anymore inclined to listen to him. Glaring at the door, Jacques wondered how stupid the Lycan Master had to be to think that any amount of forced solitude was going to make him anymore likely to agree to his point of view. In the centuries that he had been alive, Jacques had rarely changed his mind to suit anyone else but himself.

The redhead wrapped his arms around his legs and set his chin atop them. At least, at least he knew what was going on. He knew that Viktor was still alive and that, that was comforting. He would not have been able to stand listening to anyone gloat about taking the stoic Elder out of the picture. He'd probably kill the idiot on the spot and then Lucian for allowing such a thing to be done in the first place. So maybe he was the one with the problem. So maybe HE was the idiot for being in love with said stoic Elder who hated them and wished them all dead. It didn't matter. Nothing he did changed it. Nothing Lucian would say would change it.

His melancholy thoughts are interrupted by the door opening. "I thought I already argued with you once today," he said without looking up.

"You are becoming something of an irritation," Lucian responded.

Jacques looked up with a decidedly bitter smile. "I really care nothing for your opinion of me," he answered, "I know where I stand. I know that is NEVER going to change even though you and ninety-nine percent of the others would like it to. I thought we got through this discussion." His French accent was made thicker by the anger that coursed through him. If Lucian kept pushing, he wouldn't be able to discern a single thing said to him.

Lucian sighed. "Jacques, surely you know the stupidity of this."

Jacques' gray eyes narrow as his temper flares. "Do I look like an idiot to you?" he demanded, "Of all the people, I know the MOST how stupid this is! He's an arrogant, egotistical, sadistic, psychopath who wishes nothing more than for all of us to drop dead! Did I miss anything in that?"

"So you understand how stupid this is."

"Oui." His voice is now empty, defeated. He was so tired of this argument, "However, that will never change the fact that for all his idiocies and for all his cruelties…I still love him."

Lucian sighed again before he crouched in front of him. "Old friend, you have to get over this. It has been centuries since you have last seen him. Why is it that you STILL crave him?"

"When I know the answer to that, mon ami, I will gladly explain it to you…I am tired Lucian, leave me alone." These conversations got them nowhere except for Jacques feeling worse than he did. He hid his miserable expression behind his shoulder length red hair as he pressed his chin to the top of his knees. He wished no one had come looking for him in France. He wished that they had just let him be.

Lucian's patience finally reached its limit and he heard the door open and shut before the sound of the bar sliding into place. Jacques didn't move, he merely tried to curl up more tightly. He hated what they had been reduced to by such arrogant creatures, but then he hated himself more for being in love with the worst of them.


	2. Part One

Part one

Two more weeks passed and Jacques was beginning to wonder if he really WAS insane. Alone with the thoughts that circled in his mind, he felt worse and worse as the days went by. Lucian finally just stopped coming to talk to him. The only time he saw the man was when he decided to feed him. Jacques couldn't blame him. If he were in his position, he wouldn't trust him either.

His wolf was restless, though, from being in such an enclosed space. He was too used to being in a country that allowed him the freedom to live like he wanted to and not have worry about the vampires as they either weren't in his beloved home country or they had no intention of continuing the feud either. Being confined wasn't going well for him, and he was becoming agitated and craved going out. He just doubted Lucian would actually take his request without laughing at him so he paced back and forth in the small room. At least there were no windows so he couldn't see the moon. That would just make it worse.

The door opened but he didn't turn to look in that direction. He had no need to as he had nothing he wanted to say to Lucian. He'd die in here before he helped the male in his campaign. "You know, that is not healthy, Jacques."

The sound of Singe's voice caught his attention and he slowly rolled to his side. "Well, forgive me for not wanting to involve myself in this stupidity!" he answered angrily, "I was doing JUST FINE until someone decided that they couldn't just LEAVE me ALONE!"

"Neutral is just as bad as siding with the vampires to Lucian, you should know this," Singe chastised him, "and in any event, your history makes it hard for Lucian to trust you."

"So he is allowed to be in love with Sonja but damned are the rest of us who fall for a vampire?"

Singe sighed. "Jacques, you and I both know that comparing yours and Lucian's circumstances would be impossible. Sonja loved Lucian. We all know what Viktor's reaction would have been if he had found out."

"I would be dead." His words were simple, matter-of-fact. He wasn't stupid, he wasn't naïve, and yet it still seemed to the others that he thought anything less than his death would happen were the Elder to find out about his feelings.

"You would be more than dead. I think Viktor would have tortured you just because that would have disgusted him so much. Lucian's only trying to help."

"He should know that you cannot just stop loving someone because someone tells you to…or because it is not in your best interest. That is not how it works. You of all people should understand that. How many years have you loved Lucian from the shadows now?"

Singe's eyes narrowed. "That is hardly the point, Jacques."

Jacques smirked. "I love how everyone else is allowed to have their own secret desires but they think that because of who I love, I am the most dangerous one. You know, at least I am honest about who I love. I think that is a step above most of those here who would rather never admit it and hope that it will go away."

He wasn't planning on making Singe angry. Heaven knew that he held no ill will towards the other Lycan. He was just frustrated, cooped-up, and sick to death of dealing with all of this. However, he obviously underestimated his ability to annoy those around him because the next thing he knows, Singe has stormed out slamming the door behind him. So stunned is he that it takes a few minutes for him to realize that the bar was not slid across.

When he realizes it, he cautiously pulled on the door and when it swung open, he peered up and down the hallway before stepping out into the empty space. He hated to do this…hated to once again be seen as the traitor…he just couldn't stay here. He couldn't remain locked up for one day more. He carefully left the sewers grateful that he ran into none of the other Lycans. The sunlight that greeted him blinded him for a moment as his eyes adjusted. They soon clear and he quickly made his way down the street to ensure that no one would run into him. If he was going to leave the sewers than he was going to be careful not to get caught. He wouldn't get another chance of this, that he was sure of. If they caught him, Lucian would be sure that no one accidentally left the door unbarred.

As he hurried down the street, he wondered where he was going to go. There weren't many options open to him at the moment. He knew that he wasn't returning just to be yelled at by Lucian for upsetting Singe because Lucian would know he did. How those two couldn't see the other's feelings was beyond the redhead but he hadn't been up to telling them to stop being stupid.

His wandering brings him to a familiar house. He sits on a branch near a window and looks in. The room was lit, which was surprising. However, a familiar shadow moved by the window and Jacques stilled. He knew that form. Viktor was awake. He settled himself against the trunk and watched as he strode back and forth either bored or agitated. Jacques couldn't help but smile. That lasted about a whole of two seconds before something knocked him out of the tree. He hit the ground hard and the last thing he heard before the darkness claimed him was a masculine voice saying sarcastically, "Lord Viktor is really going to like this." Then nothing.


	3. Part Two

**Author's note: Thanks to the wonderful Sheila who helped get this part finished when I had a major case of writer's block. As always comments are welcome! **

Part Two

He woke to a raging headache and wondered, for a brief moment where he was before remembering. He cursed himself an idiot for not making sure that thee was no one around. Slowly, he reached up and checked to see if he was injured and came with nothing which relieved him very little.

Footsteps caught his attention and he titled his head to listen. The boots were familiar, ones he knew very, very well. 'Merde,' he thought to himself, 'This is NOT going to end well.' Viktor would probably end up torturing and killing him just for the hell of it though that wasn't too surprising seeing how the male hated Lycans with a passion.

A moment later, the male he had been spying on, the one he had devoted everything he was to, appears at the doorway of the cell. Jacques makes it a point not to look up at him as it would probably only lead to him getting in more trouble than he needed. "I wasn't aware you were going to make your death easily," Viktor comments, his voice filled with distaste.

Jacques shrugged. "I've lived long enough," he answered nonchalantly as he stared at the floor. If this was where it ended...fine. At least it would solve everything that was going wrong with him. Obviously, the long centuries had made him jaded enough to prefer death at the hands of someone like Viktor.

Viktor interrupts his musing with a cold, sneering remark. "I wasn't aware that you curs got tired of being an eternal pestilence." Jacques decides not to answer that. It would only start a fight he couldn't hope to win against an adversary he didn't want in the first place. "No comeback?"

"Non," he answers wearily.

"Well, I am surprised. I would think you would have something to say for having been spying on me through my window, cur."

"Not really...I was just watching you," Jacques tells him, "There really isn't much more to it than that."

"Why?"

"Because I wanted to. Contrary to popular belief, not all of us want to kill you...and also contrary to popular belief, you still are very attractive." The minute the words were out of his mouth he regretted them. It wasn't so much the livid look on the Elder's face as the knowledge that he had given the vampire the ammunition he needed to make his life miserable.

"Y-you....you..."Viktor had lost enough composure that he couldn't even get something out. At any other time, Jacques would have thought it cute. Right now it was a probable death sentence.

"I just called you attractive, oui," he sighs. Did everything that could go wrong have to go wrong at once? When was he going to get a break? The sound of the cell opening catches his attention and he slowly looks up and decides that the answer to the last question was never. Having a fuming Viktor quickly closing the distance between them was probably going to end with his death. He ends up lifted off the ground by his throat and brought eye-level with the elder. Staring into Viktor's glowing blue eyes, he realized that the male was infuriate. He could understand. The elder had never seen their kind as anything but lowly servants and to be spoken of so familiarly to was something that was seen as arrogant at the least and as a reason to kill someone at the most.

"You are brave wolf, I will give you that. Not many would say the things you have just said knowing you've just marked yourself for death. You dare speak to me on a level of familiarity when you should be bowing before me not telling me what you think of me, cur." His lips drew together in disgust as he spat in his face; a rather cruel thought flowed through the elders head and he leaned into Jacques, allowing his lips to come close to his, inches from brushing against him. "Is this what you want wolf?" He whispered in a hiss before letting his lips move closer, nearly touching Jacques. The wolf felt his knees nearly weaken at the contact, the only thing keeping him standing was the hand on his throat. He could hear the amused tone in the vampire's voice and felt his heart sink with it, he should have known it was nothing more than a cruel trick. "You will never have this." Viktor breathed before moving his face away and allowing his grip to tighten around the wolf's throat just as footsteps sounded outside of the cell room.

Jacques could feel his airway being severely cut off, stopping him from saying anything in response…he seriously was beginning to think this was it, he was going to die of asphyxiation from Viktor here and now. Suddenly, the painful grip on his neck was loosened as Viktor's attention turned to the vampire who'd just arrived. "My lord," Kraven, the elder's second in command bowed at his feet. "Selene informed me of your displeasure and so I rushed down here as fast as I could, may I be of any assistance to you in the riddance of this scum?" He glared pointedly in Jacques direction. Of course the vampire had made up the part of Selene telling him anything but he wanted to look good in the eyes of the elder and knew that by mentioning her name it would please the Elder.

Jacques didn't like it when Viktor went from looking irritated to slightly pleased. "Yes…yes I believe you can Kraven," he finally answered as he released the redhead from his grip, allowing him to slump to the floor as he went and grapped a whip from the other side of the cell. The sight of the whip is enough to make Jacques want to curl into a ball but he doesn't. He merely watches Viktor with no emotions. He'd managed to push them behind a mask constructed just for this purpose though he felt like he was dying inside. "Get him on his feet, Kraven," Viktor commanded.

"Yes, milord," Kraven says hurrying to do so. For an instant, Jacques is tempted to tell Viktor just what this "loyal" servant has been up to all these years. However, he refrains from it not wanting to ruin what Lucian had spent so many centures workng to achieve.

"Hold him," comes Viktor's next command. The feel of Kraven holding his wrists tightly was bad enough as he felt like his bones were about to snap. However, it was nothing compared to the burning agony of the whip striking his back. The first blow is vicious and pulls a strangled cry of agony from him. The next ones are just as hard and just as merciless. The whips shred the back of his shirt and split the skin of his back. He smells his own blood and feels it sliding down his skin. It isn't long before tears fall and he's begging for Viktor to stop, his body breaking as much as his heart. It doesn't work but then he hadn't really thought that it would. He falls into darkness before it stops.

Waking up is hell and Jacques grits his teeth. While most of the worst wounds have healed already, there are still some remaining and it stings. He looks around and realizes that he was in the same dingy cell he'd started in. 'Idiot,' he chastises himself, 'Utter idiot.' He slowly brings himself up to his knees and grits his teeth against the pain that causes. "You're awake," a familiar voice comments, "I am impressed, cur. Most wouldn't wake up for a night or two."

He looks at Viktor and says, "Oui, well, I am not MOST, monsieur."

"No, you are definitely not. You are more idiotic than most of your species."

"Are you quite done insulting me? I already know how stupid this is. Everyone has told me this so I definitely do NOT need it reiterated by YOU!" he snaps at the end of his patience. He could not could NOT deal with Viktor's patronizing tone at the moment. He wanted to be left alone to berate himself BY HIMSELF. Like always, he doesn't get what he wants.

"I suggest, cur, that you hold that tongue of yours unless you want to lose it."

Jacques looks at him angrily. "You know what, why don't you come over here and make good on that threat, monsieur? Or are you too afraid that the 'big, bad' Lycan will hurt you?" he spits at him losing his long thinned temper. This male was making it hard for him to retain composure or any sort of commonsense.

"You think I am afraid of you?" Viktor says scornfully, "I fear NONE of your species,cur."

"Prove then. If you are not afraid of me then come and try to cut out my tongue." Why he was goading Viktor was beyond him. It was incredibly stupid on his part because if the Elder DID come back in that cell, he wasn't sure what he was going to do. Luckily for him, the vampire merely storms off leaving him alone again with his emotions in a mess. 'If there is an award for stupidity,' he thinks, 'I've won it.'

He finds, however, that he's not alone for long. "Is there a reason you seem incapable of listening to commonsense?"

He looks at the cell door at Soren. "Are you actually asking me that?"

The Overseer rolls his eyes. "Jacques, I know that you're insane, but this takes the cake. You could have gotten killed."

"Maybe...but..."

"I know. You don't need to finish that sentence. You've had your emotions written on your sleeve...for any who cared to pay attention."

"Nobody did if they were so obvious."

Soren gives a wry smile. "What do you see in him again?"

"What do you see in Raze?" he counters.

A ghost of a smile appears. "Careful with that, you."

"Well, you asked."

"Maybe but it still stands that I am the only one here who isn't going to try and spill your blood over the cell. Remember that."

"I know. Don't think I am not grateful for it."

He snorts. "I am sure that you aren't."

Jacques slowly stands up and walks to the cell bars. "I am. You've been most considerate where we are concerned...unlike a certain regent who needs to figure out what he's doing and where his loyalty lies."

"His loyalty lies with him, Jacques, it always has."

"Then do me a favor...watch Lucian's back. I would hate to have that spineless worm stab it."

Soren smiles. "I will. You would do well to remember not to goad Viktor."

"I can't help it."

"Well, one of these days, he WILL cut out your tongue if your not careful."

"It would be a pity. Then he'd never know what I was capable of with it."

"I do NOT need that image," Soren groans, "Whatever your fantasies of Viktor entail, do NOT make me privy to them."

Jacques finds himself smiling. Soren might act like he didn't care but the truth was...he cared a lot. He had to since he was sleeping with Raze. Jacques was beginning to think that of the two of them, only Soren was doing it because he actually wanted to help the Lycans. Kraven just couldn't be trusted. He just...didn't have the courage it took to see something like this through and Jacques was refusing to have Lucian take the fall for the male's cowardice.

"I have to leave," Soren says looking back over his shoulder, "but I'll return as soon as I can. Please, try not to do anything...stupid."

"It's a bit late for that, mon ami. According to everyone who knows me, I've been doing stupid things since I was old enough to understand that they were stupid. It's not going to change."

"Then don't do anything that gets you killed, Jacques."

"I'm not sure that's possible, either. I'm a Lycan."

"Just try."

"I can do that...though I am not sure that is going to succeed very well."

Soren nods, seemingly satisfied, before disappearing back up the hall. Jacques turns and walks back deeper into the cell. If all he managed to was to protect Lucian, it was enough. He closes his eyes and leans against the wall willing the dull throb to vanish. Viktor really HAD done a number to his back. 'Idiot,' he thinks, 'utter idiot. Fall in love with someone who is less of a monster.' The beration came a few centuries too late to do him any good and now the Elder knew how he felt. There was going to be more pain in his future...he could just see it. The worst part was that he only had himself to blame. He slides down onto the cold ground and leans back against the wall. Maybe a few hours of sleep would give him some relief from his pain and, if he was lucky, a calmer outlook on the whole situation. Maybe.


End file.
